Citizens of two worlds

The sermon this morning was on 1 Cor 6:1-8 about lawsuits against believers. The preacher did not much talk about lawsuits per se, but about how Paul admonished them as being too caught up in silly lawsuits when there are more important things around them.

One point which I found interesting was when he gave a brief introduction on the Corinthian context. He said the Corinthian church was a church that was reflecting the world in many ways.

This is also true he says, in any churches at any place at any time. Churches reflect the world and context they are in and at the times they are in.

This reminds me of what NT Wright has been writing about, the kingdom of God which is already now with us. We are both the citizens of the country we are in and citizens of the kingdom of God. We behave like most citizens of the country and we must also behave like children of God.

How do we do that? How do we be loyal to both and yet not betray either?

Interestingly, in the recent blog post by Roger Olson, he was against putting up flags of the country in the church. I never thought of that, since I have never seen that done here before. At first, I wondered what was wrong with that.

But he says there are two reasons why it is not right, one for the sake of our allegiance to God, in that the flag may symbolise one's highest loyalty even above Jesus Christ and two for the sake of the flag, one would be flying it in submission to God, and apparently a flag cannot be flown in submission.

I know Matt 6:24 or Luke 16:13 is about choosing between God or money as master but the first portion sounds relevant here, does it?

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

Can it be applied in terms of our citizenship? One to our country and one to the kingdom of God?

pearlie

What about 1 Cor 2?

In continuation of the 1 Corinthians sermon series in church, it was on chapter 2 today. In looking into the chapter, I have these questions:

After Paul admonished the church in divisions in chapter 1, he moved on in chapter 2 to say that he is coming to them not in lofty words and impressive wisdom. Why?

And he continues the same in chapter 3, not talking to them as spiritual people but as infants. And in chapter 4, he reminds them of who he is and that he is warning them.

In that larger context, what was Paul saying to the Corinthians in chapter 2 and why?

And from all that, what is the teaching for us?

I should make time this week to read up and find out the answers.

pearlie

Have hope, be patient, and never stop praying

pearlie

The beloved book of Philippians

I was listening to Philippians again and again today, which I can consider as my most loved book of the Bible. And these are the well-known verses:

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (1:6)

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (1:21)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (2:3)

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (2:5-11)

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. (3:13)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (4:4-7)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (4:8)

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (4:11-13)

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (4:19)

pearlie

It takes the Spirit to build a church

Pastor Marvin's sermon this morning was on 1 Cor 12:1-11, entitled "It takes the Spirit to build a church", broken into 4 points:
1. Spiritual gifts do not guarantee spiritual truths (v.1-3)
2. Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift (v.4-11)
3. Spiritual gifts are given for the sake of other people (v.7)
4. Every Christian's gift are determined by God (v.4-11)

Point 1
We must not confuse ourselves on gifts and truths, because great spiritual gifts evident in a church may or may not make a great church. A case in point is the church in Corinth. Paul talked a lot about its many spiritual gifts but it had many serious problems.

Point 2
Every Christian has at least one gift - not one is without. The list of gifts as laid out by Paul (1 Cor 12:8-10; Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11) is not extensive. As such there can be more than what Paul mentioned. Moreover, the gifts that we have may not have to be spectacular. Amongst the more mundane ones Paul listed are like giving, service, acts of mercy and administration.

Point 3
All our gifts are for the common good and not for personal benefit. These gifts are tools that are given to us so that the church can be built. We need to always ask ourselves if we are indeed playing our part in the church, and not blaming the pastor or church leaders when things are not happening, or when things go wrong.

Point 4
We do not choose our gift, it is God who determines it. But we need to pray and ask God for it, and whilst waiting, we take opportunties to serve and in doing so may discover our gifts. And when we discover them, we are to hone it to perfection.

pearlie

Enjoy Your Assignments

I need to kickstart my assignment engine so badly. I have 2 more assignments to pass up before I could graduate.

I had initially decided to tackle the question on the differences and similarities of the portrayal of Jesus in Matthew and Luke - but I somehow could not get it started.

I tried. I read, I researched, I started on the assignment but it got nowhere.

So I thought I had better look for an option. I started thinking about this other question about looking for the themes of Mark in its prologue, and before I knew I was enjoying my assignment again. When I told Melissa that, she laughed at me commenting that people do not enjoy assignement - but I do! And when I don't, something is not right somewhere as it happened with the Matthew-Luke question.

I am now deciding on the 2nd assignment - should I take the one on apostasy in Hebrews or social discrimination in 1 Peter? The Hebrews one sounds more enjoyable.

pearlie

For when I am weak...

2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Most Christians would be familiar with these words of Paul. It sounds simple and easy, but it's not.

I know how is it to be weak. We have our own degrees of struggles and pain, our own degrees of weakness. I do not experience or know your struggles nor do you mine. It is therefore unprofitable for anyone to compare, to belittle the pain of others or God forbid, to be glad that we don't have it as bad as others. We face our own struggles. We know out own struggles.

And Paul says, "For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul's context of strength is without a doubt the strength of God. It is only in our weakness that our flesh, our self-dependence is subdued for God's strength to finally work in us.

However, when reality strikes, it does not seem so easy. I can describe and explain how I am weak, but find it hard to tell you how I am strong. Yes, I have faith but it seems weak in the arduous pain I feel. Yes, I have the grace of God but I succumb to self-pity and self-worthlessness. I do not feel strong, I feel weak.

But praise be to God and Jesus Christ my Lord that it does not depend on how I feel. It relies on the very utterance of God. When he says when we are weak, then we are strong, it shall be so. Nothing we say or feel is going to deny it. The only requirement is our surrender to him and to take him at his word, he is trustworthy.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. Amen.

pearlie

Good works, naturally

The sermon today brought up the tension between faith and works based on the exposition of Gal 5:1-6, where Paul says that if the Galatians were to depend on circumcision, they will never be free. If they do, two things become very clear - (1) they will not need Christ and (2) they will be obligated to keep every bit of the whole law and not just parts they like. The thing is that we are never perfect enough to fulfil the entire law, which is why the only way is to depend on Jesus's work on the cross for only he is perfect to fulfil all the requirements.

But of course that does not mean that we no longer need to produce good works. Good trees will certainly bear good fruits, it is just natural. So in the same way, when we live a life that is in Christ, the result is good works produced naturally. Our works in Christ is a "because of", not a "so that".

pearlie

Perseverance, wisdom and faith

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (English Standard Version)

The word, "temptation" translated into English comes from the Greek work peirasmos. It originates from the stem word peira, which means try or test. While it is used in the negative sense of temptation in other parts of Scripture, here in 1 Corinthians 10, it takes on the meaning of "burdening". As such, it brings great comfort to have Paul tell us that the problems and difficulties that we encounter in our lives are common -- if not the kind, at least the experience -- and if it has been overcome by others, we too will be able to overcome it. And more than that, God is faithful and he will ensure that we will not be burdened beyond what we can bear. If you think that you have reached your limit, God knows better and if you are already bearing the burden, you will be able to continue to bear it with his strength. And at the right timing, he will provide a way of escape: this is a sure thing - he promised it.

One quality that we need to build is our perseverance. And we can only learn perseverance when we persevere.

Here is what James says: " Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:2-8)

Perseverance, wisdom and faith - in rereading the James passage, you can actually see a cyclical logic. Have faith, faith get tested to build perseverance, so ask for wisdom, but have faith, faith get tested to build perseverance, so ask for wisdom, but have faith ...

It seems that our life here on earth is an ever-going and ever-continuing testing and trial - so that our perseverance, wisdom and faith is built up, again and again and again and again. Sometimes it really feels it will never end, but we look to that glorious hope when we will finally be in his presence on that glorious Day.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Rev 21:1-5)

Amen!

pearlie

The sinful nature - that is why ...

God certainly has a way with us. He knows us fully and comes to us in His own good timing.

I had directed many questions to him, particularly over the weekend. His word came to me very clearly yesterday via Calvin's Sunday School artwork, which carried the verse I posted here yesterday - Matthew 28:20b. God tells me surely he is with me always.

This morning, his word came to me again, and this time it is pretty loud and long. I need to spend much time reading through this passage and working it out.

Basically, I had asked him why is that while I know I trust in him, I cannot feel or experience the peace that is from him. I began to wonder if peace is only a feeling. But I am quite sure peace is either there or is not there. I can't orchestrate it. So something is not right since I did not have the peace that God is so willing to give.

He gave me the answer here in this passage from Romans.

From 7:25b, it is clearly stated that in my mind I am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature, I am a slave to the law of sin. At this present time until the Last Day when all is made perfect in Christ, we will have both this mind in Christ controlled by the Spirit and the sinful nature in us. Until and unless I release myself to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, I will be living in my sinful nature who will be narrating what I should think or do or feel. And I will not be with peace, the peace that only Christ can give (John 14:27) because, "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (v.7-8)

There's more:

Romans 7:25b-8:17
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

pearlie

The Blood of Christ

Today's sermon was one of those that spoke to me in so many different levels that it would be hard to verbalise it. I did not even take notes, I was so absorbed in it.

The speaker was Rev Dr Chew Tow Yow and he spoke on the Blood of Christ from Hebrew 9:11-22.

He reminded us of the importance of blood - I think we have been talking about it, singing of it and using the word so much so that its significance is lost on us. We must be made to realise again that blood signifies life, and Scripture has this "trail of blood" beginning from the blood of animals, right up to the blood of Jesus that brings us eternal redemption as well as the blood of the saints, which represents the participation in the blood of Christ. There is a necessity of the blood of Christ because without it there can be no approach to God, no fellowship with God by faith, no enjoyment of God's favour. The blood of Christ is the life of Christ. When we pray for the covering of the blood of Christ, we are in effect asking for the covering of the life of Christ.

In our modern day world, we have lost that in our language and in our daily living. Blood sacrifices are not only not an event, it may even be abhorred. But whatever it is, God has chosen this to be the way to life - i.e. life for life. Only through the blood of Christ, there is reconciliation, cleansing, sanctification, union, victory, life.

The other two things that I have taken home from the sermon are these:

1. If you have followed this blog, you may remember that my mullings and reflection on the mysteries of prayer is almost never-ending. Rev Dr Chew said this, which somewhat settled it for me: prayer is powerful. I may not fully understand it, but there it is, prayer practiced as ordained by God is powerful.

2. When Rev Dr Chew talked about honouring the blood of Christ in our faith and ministries with its suffering and persecution, I began to wonder to myself what about those of us who do not work directly in ministries, but in the secular world so to speak? How can I say that my suffering and persecution that I am receiving from the world is for the Lord and since my work is not directly Gospel-linked, how do I see the suffering and persecution? It dawned on me that regardless of where we work, whether in or out of Christian ministries, we are a product of the work of Christ and we are to exemplify him and imitate him in all we do, and therefore in our Christ-like way of doing things in a non-Christ-like world, we will definitely suffer and be persecuted. Therefore, our suffering and the persecution that we face is because we are Gospel-centered, albeit indirectly. It is our hope that through our living out of the Christian faith, that we can be good witnesses for Christ.

pearlie

The Essentials in a Christian Home

Rev Victor Vethamani's sermon today was taken from Colossians.

Colossians 3:18-4:1
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.

Now that I am looking at the verses, I find it interesting that a longer instructions was given to the slaves, and I believe it would be also relevant to us as workers in our time. It may be more extensive compared to the others because there isn't much of a 'relationship' between slaves and masters compared to wife and husband, father and children, children and parents. This is a good reminder to us because it is rare to find workers that are conscientious in their work and sincere to their employers.

I have also noticed that there are no instructions for mothers, but to fathers. Are fathers the only ones who tend to aggravate and exasperate their kids? What about mothers? What would be the best advice you would give us?

pearlie

Steak vs. Milk

We had Rev Dr Chew Tow Yow with us again this Sunday and SH commented after being handed the bulletin and sermon notes (we only get sermon notes when Rev Dr Chew preach) that we’ll have “steak” today which was quite a timely mention because Rev Dr Chew’s sermon today was about going on to maturity and weaning off milk.

Hebrews 5:11-6:12 (ESV)
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.

For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things- things that belong to salvation. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

What caught me in this passage was this “…you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God … let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation … (1) of repentance from dead works … (2) of faith toward God … (3) of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.”

So according to the author of Hebrews—repentance, faith and works(?), i.e. baptism, laying of hands, resurrection and eternal judgment—are just the basics. The sad fact is that most of us have not even laid this foundation in our lives, or have we?

pearlie

The book of Hebrews on faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for … And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him … These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect … Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

pearlie

Rest

Rev Dr Chew spoke to us from Hebrews 4:1-13 today. With that I now realise how I have missed the context of Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

While we can read the verse and apply to our lives by knowing that God's word is indeed living and can cut through us exposing and teaching us, I admit I am surprise at its original context. Hebrews 4:1-11 talks about the Gospel that we have already received, making us the heir to the promise of entrance into God's rest. we are to be obedient in entering God's rest. Because through his word, he will speak to us - and the commandments that were once given to the Israelites on observing the Sabbath now confronts us with the same alternatives of rest and wrath (Lane, WBC, 2002).

The focus of the passage is rest in God, not the Word of God. The lesson is the fact that God had taken the time after the 6 days of creation to enjoy his work and we, the creatures of his creation, are to join him in that celebration, to celebrate life, to worship Him as the creator and to rest in his presence. It is not the legalistic, thou shall not work law but a putting aside of the stuff that constrain us everyday and spend the time with Him, in Him, for Him.

pearlie

Afflicted but not crushed

I picked up 2 Cor 4 as my reading this morning. This passage is popular, particularly with verses like “we are afflicted … but not crushed … struck down but not destroyed” and “so we do not lose heart, though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day”.

But as I sentence-diagram it, in my own minimal standards of diagramming anyway, I saw a more complete message: the reason for Christian affliction is the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In not compartmentalising our lives, and in line with what Wesley taught, that we are fully and wholly a Christian, there is no one who is “almost a Christian”, we live our lives in all that we do, for the sake of Christ. In all that we do, we live to show and tell His word and His truth to the people around us. We need to live our lives right in Christ.

As such, our lives will cause us great strife. It will be like we are being given over to death (v.11).

I summarise the chapter as follows:

v.1 We have this ministry to proclaim the gospel of Christ.

v.2-7 But even though we may do it commendably and truthfully, it will be veiled to some because of their blindness, but we do it still because we proclaim Christ and not ourselves.

v.8-9 Because of this ministry, we will be afflicted in every way, but we will not be forsaken or destroyed.

v.10-15 We are afflicted because we carry in the body the death of Jesus so that His life may be manifested and more people will be brought into His presence. (Notice the singular "body" - I believe it refers to the Church, i.e. we carry the death of Jesus as a body of Christ, the Church. So we suffer and endure as one Church, not as individuals. What a glorious truth!)

v.16-18 So do not lose heart. Though the affliction is harsh, it is momentary and slight compared to the eternal weight of glory that is to come. (Notice the play of words - momentary vs. eternal, slight vs. weight of glory)

It is an extremely summarised one but I believed it carries the message that we have Christ in us and we are to live Christ in us, in whatever we do, in whatever state we are and wherever we are. As such, we will suffer hardship, and when we do, in whatever form it takes, it is because we are living the ministry of the gospel of Christ.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

Take heart, my friends.

pearlie

1 John 1:8-10

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

pearlie

God speaks when He speaksAnd Calvin in jayisgames.com

God's Word is indeed living and active. I was searching for Scripture and chanced upon this passage.

1 Peter 2:18-24
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

And I must mention that Calvin was delighted he was sort of featured in CasualGameplay@jayisgames.com when he suggested a game. Check it out here, as well as his comment there, which reads like this: "Aww, I didn't any credit for suggesting it! Since I completed it without a walkthrough, (that's rare) with all the alternative endings, (That's really rare) I can help with questions." Why he talks to me like a 10-year old (and sometimes 7, or was it 5?) and yet writes like he is a teenager is beyond me.

pearlie

Wife, submit. Husband, love.

I was in conversation this morning with someone, a non-Christian, who said that he found the perfect way to behave at work, i.e. basically, not to be aggressive, but assertive.

He then said something that caught my raised eyebrows: while that is true in a workplace, it is not so in a marriage. He said he has yet to find a "solution" to a marriage. He said that in a marriage, it is a different ball game with emotional attachments and workplace strategems will not be applicable.

What I did was to tell him about Ephesians 5:22-27. I obviously could not recite from memory all of the six verses. I just said that as a Christian, we take Paul's words for wives to submit to the husbands and the husbands to love their wives as Christ has loved the church.

He was immediately on the offensive, stopping me at mid sentence. I had to stop him to allow me to complete my sentence, to conclude with what husbands need to do, after which he reverted to his offensive mode. He totally rejected what I had shared with him saying that what was written 2,000 years ago was in an environment no longer applicable to our modern age. I asked him why shouldn't a wife be submissive to her husband - he kept reiterating that there shouldn't be any submission at this age, full stop. With that, I decide to rest my case and let him be.

But my prayers will be with him. He has revealed that he has some issues with his wife. In fact, they just quarrelled the night before. I have for him my symphaty.

For one, "the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Heb 4:12). I pray that what I have briefly quoted to him in time will penetrate to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow and judge his thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Pray with me.

And do you agree that only in Christ can Ephesians 5:22-27 be real? For a wife need to submit to the husband whether or not he loves her and the husband must love the wife, in the same way Christ loved the church, whether or not she submits to him. For such a submission and love, it is only possible in Christ, especially if it is one-sided.

pearlie

Did Paul have an anxiety attack?

In Philipians 4:6-7, Paul said, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I think only a person who have had an experience with a deep sense of anxiety could say such words. What do you think?

pearlie